Five Ways To Overcome The Monotony Of Freelancing

It’s a new year and, if you’re like most freelancers, you haven’t had a proper break yet. Sure you may have caught up with family, eaten yourself into a food-coma and drank a bit too much under some fireworks but, unlike your “real job” friends, you haven’t really had a week off (let alone the two or three that they all got!).

If you’re a career-freelancer, you’re probably okay with this by now. Used to it, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It doesn’t mean that you don’t find yourself poring over Facebook posts; going green over holiday snaps on Instagram, wishing that you had some way to break up the never-ending pattern of the freelance-lifestyle. Well, luckily for you, there is!

Find a Shared Office Space

There’s something beautiful about “home-time” — you know, that thing you had when you were still in school? Shared office space is the perfect way for freelancers to rediscover home-time; to find a way to physically, if not mentally, step away from the desk. It also opens up a range of new contacts; people to talk to/stare at when you’ve got a mental block; and a change of scenery and routine. A shared office may not exactly be a holiday, but what is that they say about change?

Read Smart: Read Lots

Pepper your day with news articles, serious and light (avoid novels if you can, they’re a trap!). Smart reading helps to break up your day—it’ll make you feel like you’ve actually achieved something, even when your to-do list is piled so high!

Exploit Flexibility

Make your own hours. As long as your deadlines are met and your clients are happy, you can fit the rest of your life in. Work into the night, if you have to—whatever it takes to let you have those few precious hours of true and complete escape!

Band Together

Attend industry events to seek out your fellow freelancers. Let these people distract you. Like-minded workaholics offer the best distraction. Why? They get you and they won’t take up your entire day!

Love Your Job

This one seems obvious, but love your job. When you’re truly infatuated with what you do, you won’t even really notice that you haven’t had a holiday! Fall in love with freelancing; it'll make life much easier.